War bride facts for kids
During a war or when a country is under military occupation, many people who serve in the military are present in that country. These include soldiers and other military staff. Women who marry these military people are known as war brides. This happened a lot during the First and Second World Wars. It also happened in other conflicts like the Philippine–American War, the Vietnam War, the Korean War, and during the Occupation of Japan.
Contents
What is a War Bride?
A war bride is a woman who marries a soldier or military person from another country during a time of war or military occupation. These marriages often happen when soldiers are stationed far from home. After the war, many of these couples would move to the soldier's home country.
Why Did War Brides Move?
After a war ended, many soldiers returned to their home countries. Their new wives, the war brides, would often travel with them. This meant leaving their own families and countries behind. It was a big change for these women, moving to a new place with different customs and languages.
Famous Times for War Brides
The idea of war brides became very well known during and after World War II. Millions of soldiers from countries like the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand were stationed in Europe and Asia. Many of them fell in love and married women from those countries.
World War II Brides
After World War II, many thousands of women from countries like the United Kingdom, Australia, and Japan moved to the United States. They traveled by ship to join their new husbands. It was a huge journey and a new beginning for them. These women helped build new families and communities in their new homes.
Other Conflicts
While World War II had the most war brides, this also happened in other wars. For example, during the Korean War and the Vietnam War, some soldiers married women from those countries. These stories show how love can happen even in difficult times.
Images for kids
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The many Scots who emigrated as war brides were celebrated in Bud Neill's Lobey Dosser series by the G.I. Bride character (with her baby Ned), forever trying to thumb a lift from the fictional Calton Creek in Arizona back to Partick in Scotland. The statue was erected in Partick station in 2011.
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A US serviceman and a British girl in Bournemouth, England, 1941.
See also
In Spanish: Novia de guerra para niños
